Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an electrical connector assembly having a header connector mateable with a receptacle connector, and more particularly, to apparatus for fastening and unfastening cable connectors to and from one another.
Electrical connectors typically are arranged to be connected to complimentary connector halves to form connector pairs. It is well known to use mechanical latching mechanisms for maintaining the connection between connector halves. Typically, latching mechanisms include a projection on a first connector half that extends therefrom in a direction transverse to a mating direction along which the first connector half and a second connector half are mated. The second connector half typically includes a notch or hole for receiving the projection on the first connector half, or includes a wall or another projection for engaging with the projection on the first connector half. It is further well known to use mechanical latch-releasing mechanisms for disengaging the latching mechanisms between the connector halves in order to facilitate unmating of the connector halves. Typically, latch-releasing mechanisms include a driving member, to be activated by a user, that causes the projection on the first connector half to move, thereby disengaging the projection from a notch, hole, wall, or projection on the second connector half.
One of the problems with conventional latch-releasing mechanisms is that access to the mated connectors is needed in order to release the latching mechanism to unmate the connectors. Some connectors employ latch-releasing mechanisms that are disposed on opposite sides of the connectors. These latch-releasing mechanisms require pinching or squeezing on opposite sides of the connectors to release a locking mechanism such as a latch. Consequently, these connectors require access to the connectors from both sides thereof in order to release the latching mechanism.
In one conventional latch-releasing mechanism, a connector has latches on opposite sides thereof and a U-shaped latch-releasing mechanism, accessible from the top of the connector. The latch-releasing mechanism can be pushed downward, causing the latches on the sides to release. Hence, the latch-releasing mechanism requires access only to the top of the connector and not to the sides of the connector. The latches on the sides and the latch-releasing mechanism on top, however, thereby increase both the connector""s width and height.
Other conventional latch-releasing mechanisms are designed so that access to the latch-releasing mechanisms, such as by hand or a tool, is unnecessary. Typically, connectors have ramped or chamfered surfaces for forcing locking means to flex or compact during mating and unmating of connector halves. Thus, the connector halves are simply pushed on to, and pulled off from, complimentary connector halves. Mating and unmating by the sheer application of force can damage the connector housings and the precisely arranged contacts within the housings as well as the connections between the connectors and printed circuit boards (PCBs).
An example of an environment wherein access to a pair of mated connector halves is very limited, is in the field of telecommunications cables. For example, several cable connectors may be required to fit into a small box that also houses a back plane PCB and several daughter PCBs. Often the daughter PCBs may be arranged parallel to one another and only separated from one another by a small distance such as one inch. It may be required that the cable connectors be mounted to the daughter PCBs and positioned in the small distances between the daughter PCBs. The cable connectors may also be mounted side by side with one another in very close proximity or even abutting one another.
A need remains for a cable connector system that provides easier unmating of cable connectors under space constraints.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a cable connector assembly with a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a stationary arm on a first connector to which a moveable latch on a second connector is locked and unlocked. The first connector includes a moveable arm, or a plurality of moveable arms, for lifting the moveable latch on the second connector to disengage the stationary arm on the first connector. A driving member on the first connector drives the moveable arm from first to second positions, causing the moveable arm to lift the moveable latch. A first spring returns the moveable arm to the first position, while a second spring biases the moveable latch downward to return the moveable latch to a resting position after the moveable latch has been lifted.
Optionally, the moveable arm may be modified to offer flexible, slidable, or liftable motion. The moveable arm may have a chamfered or ramped surface that engages a complimentary ramped surface on the connector housing, thereby forcing the flexible arm to flex. The moveable arm may have a chamfered or ramped surface that engages and lifts the moveable latch directly. The moveable arm may constitute an end of a lever that lifts the moveable latch. Optionally, the driving member may be configured to be slidable toward or away from the moveable latch, or, alternatively, it may be configured to be rotatable about an axis.